The Independence of Nepal and the First Free Election

In 1923, Britain recognized the absolute
independence of Nepal. Between 1846 and 1951, the country was ruled by the
Rana family, which always held the office of prime minister. In 1951,
however, the king took over all power and proclaimed a constitutional
monarchy. Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah became king in 1955. After Mahendra
died of a heart attack in 1972, Prince Birendra, at 26, succeeded to the
throne.

In 1990, a pro-democracy movement forced King
Birendra to lift the ban on political parties. The first free election in
three decades provided a victory for the liberal Nepali Congress Party in
1991, although the Communists made a strong showing. A small but growing
Maoist guerrilla movement, seeking to overthrow the constitutional
monarchy and install a Communist government, began operating in the
countryside in 1996.

On June 1, 2001, King Birendra was shot and
killed by his son, Crown Prince Dipendra. Angered by his family's
disapproval of his choice of a bride, the crown prince also killed his mother and
several other members of the royal family before shooting himself. Prince
Gyanendra, the younger brother of King Birendra, was then crowned
king.